


Create: The worst it can do is suck

by kizaten



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Keith's an artist except he's not, M/M, Sheithlentines 2020, supportive shiro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22658209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kizaten/pseuds/kizaten
Summary: Keith works at a museum, is deeply interesteed on arts and he wants to try it firsthand. But even with inspiration and will, turns out it's not as easy as the critics make it sound.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9
Collections: Sheithlentines 2020





	Create: The worst it can do is suck

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CGotAnAccount](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CGotAnAccount/gifts).



> Title comes from the first law of art from Coldstone press

Shiro and Keith had been roommates for a long while now. And for most of it, Keith couldn’t stop wishing there was more. There were years of longing in silence and looking the other go out on dates with other people before they could actually get together as a couple, and now that all their unsaid feelings had settled down and merged into a relationship, daily stuff that was just routine, turned into a nice domestic atmosphere.

During the first moths of their relationship they went to plenty of dates and enjoyed each other a lot, soothing nervousness bit by bit and growing confident about it all. Making the romantic parts of their relationship more and more solid. But as time passed by, they got more and more busy adjusting to new stuff. Keith just finished school and went through the stressful process of finding a job while Shiro faced a change on his position on his, getting more responsibilities that kept him at the office more than he’d like. With all of this, they rarely have any free time for themselves. And yes, they used their nights wisely, having dinner together every night and exploring tons of loving and pretty much bedroom related things only, not that there could be any kind of complain, each and every time were more than perfect. But it would be nice to do something different together.

One afternoon, Keith was riding his bicycle on his way back home with a bag full of groceries practically stuck in the front basket, and almost drove straight into a post turning on the corner a few blocks from home. He managed to stop but still lost enough of his balance to get the bicycle falling and some of the stuff getting dropped out of the basket. Keith cursed and complained before getting the bicycle up and getting his stuff back into the bag, then he made sure he didn’t hurt himself and finally felt ready to keep going. Giving one last glance to the damn post that got in his way, he saw the announcement stuck on it with dried tape.

Crafts and arts classes. Offered at the cultural centre near the area. And they weren’t expensive.

It got his attention; as a kid, he always liked to doodle here and there and get all dirty with paint, it was fun. He still did it as he grew, scribbling little notes for Shiro or whenever he was bored. Even now, working at a museum, he always looked at his colleagues handling and taking care of different pieces, or during his own tasks talking to artists and curators to hear about the process behind each collection they got to host. And it always made this little spark of interest inside of him, wanting to participate more, to get involved on the making, the workshops. And now the chance was just before him. Excitement made Keith forgive the post and snapped a picture of the fading ad for Shiro, wanting to make sure if he’d be into it.

By the time Shiro got back home Keith was already there. Dinner went by and then they just relaxed watching some silly bird documentary together.

“So? What do you think?” Keith asked full of enthusiasm and curled beside him in the couch. “They have an easy schedule, I’m sure we can make it after dinner. Or maybe on weekends.”

“I’m glad to know you want to do this, I thought it was only a matter of time before you wanted to get more involved into this kind of stuff.” Shiro stated supportive and confirming just how observant he was. “You’ve always been an artist, right?” And of course, teased him with this, squeezing him and making Keith laugh.

“I am!” He joked back.

“Okay, then. Let’s go, see how it goes.” That had been easy. “Connecting with this side of you will for sure be good for you. We could frame and hang all your masterpieces on your own exhibition.”

“The ones we won’t sell, of course. I want to contribute to the museum’s collection. ”

“Selling them? Oh, so you’re going _full artist mode_ on, hu?” Shiro laughed lauder. “I’m sure you’re just that good.”

Keith laughed and kept joking on that same track, teasing Shiro with how outstanding his abilities would be and how this whole art class would turn into something humiliating for the rest of the students, Shiro included.

Shiro couldn’t stop laughing, seeing Keith all pumped up and bragging about his talent. It was making his curiosity grow and with every comment he kept telling Keith he’d have to prove it.

The next day, during his lunch break and walking out of the exhibition halls of the museum building, Keith called to the number on the ad to register both for the weekend class. By the time Shiro was back home, and right after dinner, they went together to buy lots of materials: colour pencils, paint tubes, brushes, sketchbooks, small canvases, pallets, even aprons… 

Once at home, Keith felt excited and immediately got in the mood to scribble the first pages of his new sketchbook, hiding it from Shiro’s eyesight. He didn’t like being on other’s sight when he was drawing, especially because he was just doodling, tracing silly stuff as a game for himself, and even when Keith didn’t let him have any peek, he didn’t want to say anything to stop Shiro from dropping compliment after compliment either.

“It suits you, doing something it’s clear you enjoy this much, Artist.” Shiro kept calling him that since they picked their brushes back at the store and it made Keith’s smile come and stay with that stupid expression on his face. He wouldn’t fight something that felt so good.

But still, it was nothing like Art with capital A, just a bunch of lines forming made-up images. Something that looked like a dog, something that was a mix of Shiro and a bunny, a cup, a copy of the patterns on the curtains… But they were all simple.

After closing the sketchbook, he couldn’t help but wonder… When was the last time he tried something that wasn’t just a doodle?

First day of arts class, they made it there together and took their places like everybody else.

Keith was so ready for this, taking everything out while Shiro only listened and waited patiently as always. Their teacher explained how things were going for the day (since they both missed a few classes before this one) and arranged the place so they all could have more space. Shiro got separated from Keith but it would be fine anyway, like that neither of them would have it so easy to see what the other was doing. It wasn’t that he liked being away, but this solved the dilemma easier than trying by himself. Being together was fine, but having time to make a surprise was also quite good right then.

It was endearing to see Shiro pout from the other side of the room but he could only smile, satisfied with the arrangement. He knew Shiro would be fine anyway. And as time went by he felt satisfied to prove that Shiro was in fact, focused on his own doing rather than being worried about the distance.

What wasn’t as satisfactory was his own progress. Keith had wasted page after page of his sketchbook doing nothing. Every single thing he drew looked crocked, uneven, lazy, messy and… like the worst doodles he had ever made. He decided to change, picking brushes and paint instead of pencils, this would probably change his mind-set to a more serious one about this whole arts thing. _An Artist_ , like Shiro said.

The only thing he got was feeling like he was five years old again, back when he used to splash the walls or whatever he could find with paint and verbally tell his father what to see on his “pieces”. It was… Terrible. Colours mixed without blend, his shapes were careless and loose, they weren’t even good abstract stuff. It was just a mess.

Keith cursed and tried again, changing the way he was sitting and turning the page to get a clean new opportunity. Maybe, he thought, the mistake he was making was trying to convey something from imagination, if he tried to paint something he could see right then, it would be better. Easier. So he decided to do it and changed colours, washed his brushes and picked what to paint.

He got started.

It felt better.

The class was over and everyone stated to clean their places. The teacher thanked them all and reminded them to keep practicing.

They cleaned up and picked their stuff, heading back together afterwards. The ride back home was simpler, it was a fresh afternoon and they still had to think on what to have for lunch. Also, Keith wanted to give Shiro his surprise.

Once at home, Keith took his sketchbook out again while Shiro took care of lunch at the kitchen. He used the privacy and decided he could still fix a few things on his painting. Keith got everything ready on the studio’s floor and got to it again. There, on the floor, painting and unconsciously sticking his tongue out, he truly felt like years ago.

He left his painting dry and joined Shiro at the table once lunch was ready. They talked about their first class experience and Keith brought up the theme of his first painting being a gift for him. Shiro looked at him happy and asked if he could see it. After a bit, Keith accepted and headed back to the studio to bring his sketchbook for Shiro to take a look.

Shiro took it in his hands and went quiet, his smile still present in his face.

“What?” Keith asked, nibbling on his own lip and trying to convince himself it was fine and he wasn’t embarrassed at all.

“I’m just…” Shiro looked surprised and kept his eyes on the page.

Keith had tried to paint him, Shiro had used a canvas during class and held it in front of him with an easel, and he looked so calm and focused Keith couldn’t keep himself from staring and making Shiro the theme of his painting. Of course, if he was giving away a painting for someone he loved that much, it had to be something that truly inspired him, just like Shiro himself could always do. It made sense to him when he decided what to do.

And once he started to fix it at home he could add things that escaped his sight during class, maybe arrange it thinking on the stuff he used to look for in the pieces of their exhibitions at work. The lights, the size, the blanks on the page, fixing the background with more colours, Shiro’s face… He had tried his best.

But Shiro stayed quiet the entire time, just looking down, humming lightly whenever he seemed to think something and then going silent and just staring at the page again. Shiro looked at his face again and with a soft smile he thanked Keith for it.

Keith smiled too and held him tight, satisfied with the warmth of giving.

They went back to clean, well, Keith did, leaving Shiro behind with his painting. He sat on the couch and just looked at the page while Keith did the dishes and cleaned the table.

“I like the dog.” Shiro said.

“What dog?”

“Here, on your painting. The tiny black one.”

Keith went back to the couch and sat with him, confused and looking at the page. He did tried to paint a dog before but he didn’t give that one to Shiro, he was sure. 

“It’s you.” Keith pointed out with a shy smile.

“Oh…” Shiro kept his face as straight as possible, but the more Keith looked the easier it was to see he was forcing his laughter to leave. “Sorry. So this is me… And this here is the dog?”

“It’s the chair!”

“Ah… Wow, I’m…” Shiro seemed to struggle, leaned his head to the side a bit, looking like a big puppy. Like always. “Am I pregnant? Oh, no, is it just fat? Am I fat?”

“What?” Keith looked down at his own drawing. “No, no… that’s the canvas.”

Shiro couldn’t hide it anymore and laughed. It was clear laughter was simply exceeding him and coming out even when he was making an effort on being supportive, Keith could tell by the way he held him even when he was making fun of it.

Just like it happened when he showed his drawings to his father, Keith had to take the sketchbook to explain and point everything to Shiro, and with each sentence he only laughed harder. Once Keith was way too frustrated and embarrassed by this whole mix-up, Shiro told him what he saw in the image. Making it worse.

Keith escaped from his hold and tried to snatch the sheet of paper from the sketchbook in Shiro’s hands so he could burn it and make it disappear. It was even more embarrassing with all the tease and comments of how good he was supposed to be on arts class before facing the reality of his skills.

“Keith, please. At least it’s better than mine.” Shiro tried to cheer him up, but he was still laughing and for once Keith felt it wasn’t a sound as nice as it usually was. “I left the canvas but I can still show you…”

Who was he kidding, he loved it.

Shiro stood up and went to get his stuff. Keith had to fight the urge to throw his painting to the trashcan and just stayed in the couch. He was definitely not pouting.

By the time Shiro came back, Keith only looked at him sit down and go through the pages. The first ones looked all curled as though they were still drying after getting all wet, and each one Shiro turned made his curiosity burn. Then he finally showed him what he wanted to share.

“I also wanted to give you something, of course, but I thought I’d rather do it at the end of the course, once I had actually learned something. I was sure after I saw this was all I could do.” Shiro explained, a smile stayed sitting on his lips as he handed Keith the sketchbook.

Once Keith looked at it… He couldn’t even tell what it was.

“Pfft.” He shut down laughter and kept his eyes focused on the page before his eyes.

It was… Like he had tried to make something tracing a single line but it only portrayed a very twisted and strange image that he couldn’t even point out what it was. An irregular shape with something that looked like a face inside, with a wide smile with pointy teeth, and long thin lines making it even pointier…

“What is…?”

“Come on, try to imagine what it is.” Shiro told him, nudging him and finally getting Keith’s smile to spread on his face and chuckle lightly. “Make a guess.”

“Am… It’s an angry cheese with toothpicks? Monster? Sleep paralysis monster?”

“No!” Shiro laughed and took his phone out. “It’s just a dog.”

He held his phone for Keith to see it and it showed a picture of a dog that he must have downloaded somewhere. The outline of his drawing somehow imitated the pose of the dog, but without more lines or different colours to shade it, it was impossible to try and point what was the head, or the ears, anything. 

Keith laughed hard.

“I know you like dogs so I tried the entire morning to get a decent dog.” Shiro told him as he turned the pages, showing more and more line-art “dogs” and the pictures on his phone that were his references. He even had a disastrous cat that was just a round thing with spiked shapes to be the ears.

Keith couldn’t stop laughing, neither could Shiro.

“But if you couldn’t… What were you doing with the canvas?” Keith asked, finally putting the sketchbook down and drying his laughter tears of the corner of his eyes.

“Oh, the doggest dog of all of them.” He told with a smile. “Just you wait, you’re gonna love it.”

 _The doggest_ … Keith repeated in his head. Definitely made him feel better.

Maybe trying to do the same as Shiro, use the course to improve and get something better by the end of the program would be better. Besides, he still had to make it up for drawing fat Shiro sitting over the tiny dog, he needed a better gift. Shiro was also doing a big effort for him.

On the next classes, they worked like they did during the first one, away from the other and trying to improve to make a worthy present. The instructor was always trying to push back laughter whenever she passed behind any of them, until Shiro told her it was fine to laugh, it was a big joke and he already knew it.

He used a couple of canvases on his attempt to get the perfect dog for Keith, and Keith himself turned page after page on his sketchbook to get a better image of what he wanted. He ended up using a picture of Shiro he had on his phone as his reference and tried again and again with the same image and different advice they all were getting from the teacher.

Keith kept doodling at work, to practice movements now and then, sending Shiro pictures of what he was doing and getting strange _dog_ outlines in return. It was like even with the advice, Shiro felt comfortable doing things like that. Keith always replied with strange names for his pictures, sometimes Shiro replied with the actual idea of what he was trying to draw. 

Week after week, they kept working on improving, and by the end of the course, all of the students exhibited their paintings. Of course, Keith offered himself to participate on the organization, and after he shared what he did on his daily work, playing curator for the group was highly welcomed. Each student got their works framed by their own, Keith only had to decide how to display them and print the details of the factsheets for them, and it was way easier than the real deal.

Shiro’s was titled _“The doggest”_ , obviously.

He was incredibly careful with keeping it secret from Keith, even when they share their living space, Shiro never let him see it, and it’s almost as if the painting didn’t exist. Keith knew it must be somewhere in the house, but he never found it, not even by accident.

The only moment he could see it was during the exhibition opening.

Shiro managed to get his painting hanged last, and was easy since the one in charge was his boyfriend and he could get away with practically anything. He guided Keith to see it by himself once the opening speeches are over.

Keith lost it when he saw the painting.

This one had colour but it’s all smeared rather than being smoothly blended with the rest of it. Colours were bright, kind of blunt, all brown and orange and as Shiro explained it was an autumn background. And the dog! It looked like some kind of bear with bumps and a grey-ish tongue crossing its face ( _a stick_ , Shiro corrected). The black lines tracing the outline of the dog and other poles behind ( _trees_ , Shiro explained) were rough and Keith could almost bet patient Shiro gave up on brushes and picked a sharpie just to finish it. And his signature on the canvas was a white dot on the corner. 

It was like mixing his previous line-art-only dogs with caveman painting.

“Please tell me you painted this with your fingers.” Keith said laughing.

“No, no… Well, this is my finger.” Shiro pointed at the white dot and as his metal index approached, Keith could notice it was the exact same size. He laughed louder. “See? Told you you would love it.”

“Come, now I’ll show you mine.” Keith joked and pulled him by the arm to where he placed his own framed work.

When they got there, a couple was looking at Keith’s painting, they made weird faces and ended up chuckling and joking to themselves. After watching Shiro’s painting and the confidence with which he stood beside Keith laughing, he felt better about what he made. Because he knew it was just as bad.

He pulled Shiro closer and showed it proudly.

The picture Keith used as reference showed Shiro sitting on the floor and looking up, with two chips on his mouth mocking a duck. On his painting, he surely looked like an actual duck. Keith used watercolours and the colours were so light they seemed to be fading, excepting the places where it was clear he dropped way too much paint and tried to brush it somewhere else. At the same time, Shiro’s face seemed to melt with the white of his hair and silver of his eyes. His shoulders seemed to fall and his feet were way too small, like if Keith had run out of space without noticing. The background looked like a deep threatening pond even when it was supposed to be their carpet, and there were things that Keith didn’t know how they got there, making it look as if the duck (Shiro) had horns.

“Angry cheese monster” Shiro read the factsheet and shook his head.

“It’s you.” Keith repeated like the first time, excepting now he was chuckling instead of wearing that shy smile.

Shiro laughed as well. “That’s how you’re going to call me now?”

Keith laughed and nodded while Shiro wrapped him in his arms. It had been quite a funny experience, spending those months on this project, and for sure, they’d remember it all whenever they saw those paintings. After the exhibit, they rode back home careful with their pieces.

They exchanged their pieces with hilarious surprised faces and thanked each other.

Shiro kept calling him an Artist even with that disaster on his hands.

It was clear they wouldn’t toss them away, and obviously wouldn’t sell them, so they got immersed on discussing where could they place them. Keith refused to let _Angry cheese monster_ anywhere near unwanted eyes, it felt way more embarrassing to display that on the common spaces of they place, but at the same time, he didn’t want that sitting on their own bedroom. Shiro kept telling him it was fine and the best part was they could tell everyone the story behind it, but at the same time, he didn’t push it further. _Angry cheese monster_ ended up fixed in the studio.

At the end, Keith admitted Shiro’s _doggest_ dog was adorable and granted him the honour to display it on the living room. He was thankful with his effort and he could accept it answered to the primary aim of art: connecting with the viewer’s feelings. They hung it together along with the factsheet as part of it all. It was a set and, according to Keith’s expertise, it was important to identify the pieces and its artistic value on addition to what it wanted to communicate on its own.

They both knew it was all part of a big joke.

**Author's Note:**

> ♥ Happy valentines!! This was quite fun to explore, prompt was: taking a painting class and they're both terrible. I had a lot of fun and tried myself to draw something horrible like "The doggest dog" which I'll post later, someday.   
> I really hope you like it and have a great day!!


End file.
